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Women with gestational diabetes run a high risk of obesity and future diabetes.
Gestational diabetes debuts during pregnancy. It can be discovered either by sampling the urine for glucose, or by taking a blood test. It's is an important disorder to discover and manage in pregnancy as it has many effects on the mother and baby. By managing this disorder during pregnancy most complications can be avoided. Many people with mild gestational diabetes can be managed with only dietary changes, others with more severe manifestations must have insulin injections.Gestational diabetes is defined as diabetes that has its onset during pregnancy. Diabetes is an illness where the body is unable to regulate its glucose levels due to either a lack of insulin or a resistance to insulin. Diabetes has many complications including kidney failure, blindness, cardiovascular problems, foot problems and nerve problems. It affects the body in it's entirety and is a life changing diagnosis.
It has long been known that patients that have gestational diabetes run a higher risk of getting diabetes later in life. Most patients get a grace period after the pregnancy where the blood sugars normalise and some may never get Diabetes.
This recent study done in Huddinge Hospital in Sweden shows that a large percentage of the women followed develop insulin resistance, a precursor to Diabetes and become overweight. 29% of the women followed up 15 years after their diagnosis had developed insulin resistance and a majority had doubled their weight. In the control group (similar people but not having been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during their pregnancy) non of these changes where seen.
The suggestion from this study is that if you where diagnosed as having diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance during your pregnancy then you should get your blood sugars checked regularly.
Dr. Bernard Beldholm
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